Into a small cottage on First North in Salt Lake City, Utah was born a daughter to Henry John Hayward and Elizabeth Ann Pugsley. She was given the name of Hazel Jean but was always called “Jean.” Four older brothers and sisters had died as infants in diphtheria epidemics but a brother Philip was living. When ten years of age Philip died leaving Jean and a sister, Merle. Later two other children, Elizabeth and John were born, making nine children being born into the family.

Next door to our home was the home of our paternal grandparents where we children spent many happy hours. Later we built a home in Pugsley Court near our maternal grandparents where we lived until shortly before my marriage. Here my sister Merle died of typhoid fever just leaving the three of us home.

A clipping from the Deseret News from April 14, 1906 telling about the Women's Democratic Club celebration of Thomas Jefferson's birthday.

I attended Washington School and West High and also studied the piano. After graduation I continued with my piano studies. We moved into a home on 2nd North and 2nd West where I continued with my music and from which I left for a year’s study in Europe. I went abroad with Rita Jackman [1886-1970, a piano teacher of note in Salt Lake City for many years] and her aunt where we resided at Bamberger Straße 5 in Berlin. My teacher was Alberto Jonas and we practiced four hours each day. There was quite a colony of Utah music students in Berlin at the time so we had a very enjoyable year. My father, my sister and my Aunt Clara came over to come home with me.

While I was attending school I met Henry Wessman to whom I was married soon after my return from Europe. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on Nov. 25, 1908. For a few months we lived in Ogden, then we returned to Salt Lake to make a home. Later we moved to Provo and Ogden. There were 14 children born to us. In 1932 our husband and father died after which we returned to Salt Lake where we have since resided. As the children married some of them moved away as far as New York and Los Angeles.

During the second world war eight of our nine sons were in service, all returning safely. My oldest daughter Merle, died in April of 1945 in Salt Lake City, while we were living at our home at 184 E. St. which we purchased on returning here to live after Henry’s death. The boys and girls all worked to help keep the family together. As they each married they made homes of their own.

My life has been mainly domestic with music as a side-light. My church has been a wonderful activity also and I have been organist in most organizations, both ward and stake.

The picture was identified as "Jean Wessman and others." It isn't John, but is definitely one of his eight brothers.

He looks like he's around 40 and seems to be wearing military clothing, so it's either Paul or Phil. From looking at another picture of eleven of the children after Jean's funeral, with everyone identified, I will guess that it's Paul, although he and Phil do resemble each other a lot.

I don't have any record of the descendants of any of the kids except for John, so I'll assume that's a granddaughter, but I really don't know.

Per Norinne: Hazel JEan Hayward She was sick a lot as a child, and had a lot of sore throats. Years later, they figured out she had had Rhumatic Fever and it had impacted her heart. about a year before she died, they dx her with a Rhumatic heart, enlarged heart, stemming back to her childhood diseases.

Per Norinne: The photo of Jean, approx 8 years old. Just after Jean had this photo taken, her mother (Elizabeth Ann Pugsley Hayward) bumped into an old friend. The friend said the reason Jean was sick all the time was because her long hair sapped all her strength. Her mother took her to the barber and had her hair cut off short.

Thanks for the comment! If you see this post again, we're trying to make sure that we have contacts with all the different branches of the Wessman family. Let me know if you'd like to be added as a contact for your branch of the family. My email is on the blog sidebar.

The male most definitely is Paul, my father. (He looked so much like John, and it was sometimes difficult to tell them apart in photos.) The girl is my sister Linda, who was three years old at the time. (Sorry, my baby sister Jean, but you were close.) The picture was taken on Thanksgiving 1951. We had just returned from Okinawa and were visiting Grandma and the Salt Lake relatives before relocating to San Francisco. Lorraine, our mother, has a newspaper clipping with this picture.

As an aside, my dad Paul and Uncle John had the same quick mind and wit. After Paul died I particularly enjoyed spending time with John because it was almost like having Dad back. They both had that wonderful acceptance of me and made me feel secure. I made sure my grandchildren knew John so they could have a sense of what their great-grandfather was like.

In 1957 or 58 I met the Tabernacle organist (don't remember his name). He told me that Jean was his first piano teacher. He was very effusive about her impact.

Jean was involved with the Salt Lake Opera Society.

She was related to the Beesleys of Beesley Music Co. in Salt Lake. That was where she sent me to buy my music.

Grandma Jean taught me to read music when, at 8 years old, we visited Salt Lake for a week. For the next 3 years, until I managed to have piano lessons, the instruction and books she gave me allowed me to actually become a fair pianist. We moved back to Salt Lake in 1956 and she often talked to me about music and literature. I was so proud when she went to my school, Glendale Jr. High, to hear me perform a piano concerto.

Well, so far there are three possibles as the little girl. I would be most in inclined to agree with Peggy, as I think it looks like Linda as a child. Although, I may be wrong. All I am sure of is that it is one of my Dad's girls (Paul) but not Jean or me. Thank you for this blog. I will be sure to check it for future info.

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It's always wonderful to hear from relatives and friends, close or distant. This blog is an ongoing collaborative project, so if you have questions, memories or reminiscences, corrections, requests to use material, or additional pictures, documents, or histories to share, please leave a comment. We can't always see contact information in comments, so you can also contact Amy at amy ancestor files (that's all one word) at gmail dot com.

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It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look on the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect on the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. —Gordon B. Hinckley...